conversion to cowhorn

Wily-Quixote

I'm looking at converting a dropbar roadie with ultegra sti gearing to cowhorn-style bars.
I'm thinking of htese for the shifting duties:
http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/au/e ... pgodMVcAUg

but brakes are my problem. What would be the most suitable brakes to fit under the palmar surface of the cowhorn bar?

i could reverse these under the bar:
http://www.wiggle.com/shimano-ultegra-r ... ke-levers/

but I thought that they may look clunky. Is there a more streamlined approach? I'm not going to fit aero bars, just using cut-down dropbars or dedicated cowhorns.

ugo.santalucia

Chicken levers? Or you can use levers for TT bars... basically any device that pulls the cable will work

Monty Dog

You'll get a horrible, kinked cable-routing by reversing the drop bar levers. You could use a CX 'interrupter' lever on the tops or a flat bar lever like these:
https://www.bricklanebikesshop.co.uk/pr ... e-levers-1

Wily-Quixote

Hi monty,
they sort of look like what I had in mind, my impression is that they would fit over the end of the bars, but surely the cable will still have to be routed around 180 degrees to get back under the bar tape?
I don't want brakes on the flat-bar section of the cowhorn bars I'd prefer brakes under the forward sections.

I guess what I'm after is TT levers except the barend that they would normally be plugged into will be occupied by bar-end shifters....

would these work, do you think?

http://www.wiggle.com/tektro-fl750-flat ... ke-levers/

http://www.wiggle.com/tektro-fl540-brake-levers/

again i'd have to route the cable under the bar, i don't want it to look too dodgy.

Monty Dog

99.9% of flat bar levers are designed for 22.2mm diameter bars whereas road bars are 23.8mm i.e. they simply won't fit. If you want to put the brake lever on the forward extension, with bar-cons in the end, you're pretty well limited to inverted aero levers - just make sure the cable runs are as smooth as possible,

Wily-Quixote

mmm... sounds like more trouble than it is worth. I kind of like the idea of having both gears and brakes in easy reach. Might go to option B, which is a carbon fibre 29er and whack some road wheels on it.

Thank you for your advice though.

blackpoolkev

I'm afraid I can't offer any practical advice but I'd love to see some pics of the finished article.

redvee

TT brake levers and Di2 shifters

crankycrank

You can still get brake levers with the top cable exit to fit your road bars. http://store.velo-orange.com/index.php/ ... evers.html and http://store.velo-orange.com/index.php/ ... evers.html

Wily-Quixote

thanks cranky & redvee